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UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley
Boston, Massachusetts, August 19, 2023
Saturday 08.19.2023 at 06:30 PM ET
U.S. Broadcast: Pay Per View | Prelims: ESPN
https://www.tapology.com/forum/threads/73765
https://twitter.com/search?q=#UFC292&src=typed_query&f=live
Aljamain Sterling opened -220, now -270
Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling, the Longo-Weidman MMA product and Long Island native, headlines UFC 292. Sterling is a well-rounded fighter who combines athleticism, strong fundamentals, and excellent game plans into an exceptionally successful fighter. Sterling’s background is in freestyle wrestling and his skills translate smoothly into the cage. He regularly shoots takedowns, often timing them as counter shots to opponents who overextend with their strikes, and drives his hips until he finds the canvas, just like he would if he were wearing a singlet. Once on the mat, Sterling has evolved from a wrestler who can hold top control to a truly lethal grappler and jiu-jitsu player. He has a black belt with a variety of submissions and one of the best body locks in the UFC. Sterling is fluid on the mat when he transitions and strong when holding position. On the feet, “Aljo’s” striking, unsurprisingly given his head coach is Ray Longo, has grown exponentially as well. He began his career as an off-beat striker, representing the funk in his nickname well, who relied on natural athleticism to find success on the feet. As he’s progressed, Aljo has kept the funk and off-beat style of his striking but has added excellent timing and technique. Sterling lands his own strikes consistently and with a high degree of accuracy while his athletic and funky footwork makes it challenging for opponents to clip him cleanly. The only issue in Sterling’s game is his takedown defense. Additionally, he can be controlled on the mat while he looks for defensive submissions. Aljamain Sterling is a well-rounded bantamweight with notes of elite attributes and impressive size, yet, one of the most underappreciated champions of recent memory. The root cause originated in his first bout against Petr Yan, where many believed Yan was winning until throwing a deliberate, illegal knee against Sterling. While Sterling went on to defeat Yan in a rematch and had a dominating performance against the injured TJ Dillashaw, many still disrespect his elite fighting ability and reign over arguably the best division in the UFC. The benefit of being disrespected is training and fighting with a chip on one’s shoulder, and Sterling has allowed this disrespect to fuel him as evidenced by him looking better each fight. This improvement is a scary proposition because he is already one of the best grapplers in the division, seamlessly blending his collegiate wrestling background with an elite submission game. The wrestling of Sterling will be a pivotal point of analysis in this fight given his background is at the DIII level where he was a two-time All-American. He could have been a DI talent, and most recently, has found success against the renowned talent, Bravo-Young, in a grappling bout where he lost in freestyle but submitted the two-time DI National Champion. From a positive lens, Sterling strikes with a funk and athleticism that is tricky early, and at this point, he can land sharp strikes with elbows and knees accompanied by lengthy punches.
"Suga" Sean O’Malley is a high-level boxer. Sean O’Malley moves linearly and laterally with fluidity and intelligence. His stance switching ability, rhythmic movement, and physically long frame make him very difficult to hit cleanly. This is a problem for many opponents because while O’Malley is challenging to hit clean, he typically has no problem landing clean on his own. O’Malley’s hands might be the best in the division, purely from a boxing perspective. He has a lightning quick jab, from either stance, an ability to throw combinations from awkward angles, and a straight cross that can land on the button and turn the lights out in an instant. His boxing is as impressive as it is vicious. While, offensively, O’Malley is one of the best boxers in the division and defensively his footwork is top-tier as well, he is not without flaw on the feet. O’Malley is infamous for his thin legs and inability to take or check a leg kick. This flaw has been overblown, but is still a concern for “Suga.” His footwork, stance switching, lateral movement, and overall striking intelligence, all combine to create a mobile target difficult to hit. But, if an opponent can land a leg kick, O’Malley has shown that it can damage him physically and limit his mobility significantly. “Suga’s” wrestling is almost exclusively defensive. Because is striking is such levels above most competition, O’Malley does everything possible to keep the fight standing. His mobility makes timing shots a challenge, his length allows him to create a wide base and create a post that is hard to drive down, and the timing on his knee strikes makes shooting from distance a dangerous proposition. Sugar Sean O’Malley is perhaps one of the most self-aware and intelligent fighters on the roster. Beyond the mental understanding of distance and range, O’Malley’s intelligence shines through outside the octagon, as he is the best self-promoter not named Conor McGregor the UFC perhaps has ever seen. Sugar uses his naturally large frame and elite footwork to keep the distance in the octagon and piece his opponent up from the outside. What is interesting for him is that while other fighters point fight from range, he looks to end the night quite quickly and can do so given the end of punch power he has is perhaps unmatched in the bantamweight division. Knowing that Sugar likes to fight far away, where he can land his elite boxing from the outside, opponents often look to slow the movement and then grapple. The on-paper method of defeating Sean O’Malley is there, as his movement allows his elite boxing to find success, and while he is competent on the mat, he is far from elite, especially when compared to the elite of the division.
vs
A clown is headlining a pay per view lol
Aljamain Sterling's last fight ever at 135 pounds, said Aljamain in June 2023
Boston, Massachusetts, August 19, 2023
Saturday 08.19.2023 at 06:30 PM ET
U.S. Broadcast: Pay Per View | Prelims: ESPN
- Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Venue: TD Garden
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
https://www.tapology.com/forum/threads/73765
https://twitter.com/search?q=#UFC292&src=typed_query&f=live
Aljamain Sterling opened -220, now -270
Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling, the Longo-Weidman MMA product and Long Island native, headlines UFC 292. Sterling is a well-rounded fighter who combines athleticism, strong fundamentals, and excellent game plans into an exceptionally successful fighter. Sterling’s background is in freestyle wrestling and his skills translate smoothly into the cage. He regularly shoots takedowns, often timing them as counter shots to opponents who overextend with their strikes, and drives his hips until he finds the canvas, just like he would if he were wearing a singlet. Once on the mat, Sterling has evolved from a wrestler who can hold top control to a truly lethal grappler and jiu-jitsu player. He has a black belt with a variety of submissions and one of the best body locks in the UFC. Sterling is fluid on the mat when he transitions and strong when holding position. On the feet, “Aljo’s” striking, unsurprisingly given his head coach is Ray Longo, has grown exponentially as well. He began his career as an off-beat striker, representing the funk in his nickname well, who relied on natural athleticism to find success on the feet. As he’s progressed, Aljo has kept the funk and off-beat style of his striking but has added excellent timing and technique. Sterling lands his own strikes consistently and with a high degree of accuracy while his athletic and funky footwork makes it challenging for opponents to clip him cleanly. The only issue in Sterling’s game is his takedown defense. Additionally, he can be controlled on the mat while he looks for defensive submissions. Aljamain Sterling is a well-rounded bantamweight with notes of elite attributes and impressive size, yet, one of the most underappreciated champions of recent memory. The root cause originated in his first bout against Petr Yan, where many believed Yan was winning until throwing a deliberate, illegal knee against Sterling. While Sterling went on to defeat Yan in a rematch and had a dominating performance against the injured TJ Dillashaw, many still disrespect his elite fighting ability and reign over arguably the best division in the UFC. The benefit of being disrespected is training and fighting with a chip on one’s shoulder, and Sterling has allowed this disrespect to fuel him as evidenced by him looking better each fight. This improvement is a scary proposition because he is already one of the best grapplers in the division, seamlessly blending his collegiate wrestling background with an elite submission game. The wrestling of Sterling will be a pivotal point of analysis in this fight given his background is at the DIII level where he was a two-time All-American. He could have been a DI talent, and most recently, has found success against the renowned talent, Bravo-Young, in a grappling bout where he lost in freestyle but submitted the two-time DI National Champion. From a positive lens, Sterling strikes with a funk and athleticism that is tricky early, and at this point, he can land sharp strikes with elbows and knees accompanied by lengthy punches.
"Suga" Sean O’Malley is a high-level boxer. Sean O’Malley moves linearly and laterally with fluidity and intelligence. His stance switching ability, rhythmic movement, and physically long frame make him very difficult to hit cleanly. This is a problem for many opponents because while O’Malley is challenging to hit clean, he typically has no problem landing clean on his own. O’Malley’s hands might be the best in the division, purely from a boxing perspective. He has a lightning quick jab, from either stance, an ability to throw combinations from awkward angles, and a straight cross that can land on the button and turn the lights out in an instant. His boxing is as impressive as it is vicious. While, offensively, O’Malley is one of the best boxers in the division and defensively his footwork is top-tier as well, he is not without flaw on the feet. O’Malley is infamous for his thin legs and inability to take or check a leg kick. This flaw has been overblown, but is still a concern for “Suga.” His footwork, stance switching, lateral movement, and overall striking intelligence, all combine to create a mobile target difficult to hit. But, if an opponent can land a leg kick, O’Malley has shown that it can damage him physically and limit his mobility significantly. “Suga’s” wrestling is almost exclusively defensive. Because is striking is such levels above most competition, O’Malley does everything possible to keep the fight standing. His mobility makes timing shots a challenge, his length allows him to create a wide base and create a post that is hard to drive down, and the timing on his knee strikes makes shooting from distance a dangerous proposition. Sugar Sean O’Malley is perhaps one of the most self-aware and intelligent fighters on the roster. Beyond the mental understanding of distance and range, O’Malley’s intelligence shines through outside the octagon, as he is the best self-promoter not named Conor McGregor the UFC perhaps has ever seen. Sugar uses his naturally large frame and elite footwork to keep the distance in the octagon and piece his opponent up from the outside. What is interesting for him is that while other fighters point fight from range, he looks to end the night quite quickly and can do so given the end of punch power he has is perhaps unmatched in the bantamweight division. Knowing that Sugar likes to fight far away, where he can land his elite boxing from the outside, opponents often look to slow the movement and then grapple. The on-paper method of defeating Sean O’Malley is there, as his movement allows his elite boxing to find success, and while he is competent on the mat, he is far from elite, especially when compared to the elite of the division.
A clown is headlining a pay per view lol
Aljamain Sterling's last fight ever at 135 pounds, said Aljamain in June 2023
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